Whether it is after-school care or full-day care for infants, the rising cost of child care in the United States has created challenges for many working parents.

According to data from the National Database of Childcare Prices, child care costs ranged from $4,810 a year for school-aged home-based care in small counties to $15,417 for infant center-based care in large counties. When adjusted for inflation, this equals between $5,357 and $17,171 in 2022 dollars. These price ranges equate to between 8% and 19.3% of median family income per child in care.

What are child care costs for Fond du Lac County?  Child care costs ranged from $5,460 a year for school-aged home-based care to $10,868 for infant center-based care. When adjusted for inflation, this equals between $6,427 and $12,792 in 2023 dollars. These price ranges were equivalent to between 7.4% and 14.7% of a median family income per child in paid care. It is important to note that child care is considered affordable when it is less than 7% of a median family income.

When child care prices are high, working parents are faced with difficult challenges: should they keep paying for child care, adjust their work schedules to reduce expenses, or leave the workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the labor force participation rate in Fond du Lac County in 2023 for men was 87% and for women it was 79.2%. While it is impossible to know if the difference in levels of labor force participation is due to the high cost of child care, research has shown it is a contributing factor.